Bachelor of Science /Master of Arts in Expressive Therapies & Mental Health Counseling
The program is designed for students who demonstrate a high level of maturity and academic potential. Essentially an honors program, the integrated program demands that students be able to achieve the academic rigor of graduate education by the time they reach their junior year of traditional undergraduate study. Students in this accelerated program must be able to achieve a level of introspection and cultural awareness necessary to engage in clinical work at a relatively young chronological age. Qualified students apply in the fall of their junior year and must be accepted for admission into the Expressive Therapies Division, Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences. This may be altered for students transferring to Lesley.
The qualities looked for upon admission include, but are not limited to:
- Ability to empathize and be compassionate within an educational and therapeutic environment
- Demonstrated psychological strength to work with different clinical populations
- Well-organized, independent, motivated, takes initiative
- Ability to handle complexity
- Works well under stress
- Ability to integrate theory and practice
- Demonstrated conceptual literacy
- Willingness to take creative risks
- Proficiency and disciplined commitment to an arts practice
- Evidence of a range of experience using a variety of art forms
Students are advised jointly in their junior and senior year by the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Expressive Arts Therapy program and a Graduate School Advisor designated for the dual degree program.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR DUAL DEGREE EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY CANDIDATES
Students will apply for the Master’s program in the fall of their junior year. Transfer students may follow an alternate timeline.
- 3.3 GPA
- 3 credits in Abnormal Psychology and 3 credits in a Developmental Psychology course with grades of B or better
- 12 credits of arts courses
- Evidence of proficiency in some form of creative expression – this should be presented either as a CD of music, dance or dramatic performance, a portfolio of visual art work, and/or a collection of poetry or examples of creative writing. Applicants should have a basic familiarity with the full experience of the creative process in at least one art form.
- A letter of academic support from the undergraduate faculty advisor, the undergraduate expressive arts therapy program coordinator, or from core faculty in your division in consultation with the expressive arts therapy program coordinator.
- Successful completion of an admissions interview and review process through the Expressive Therapies Division, Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences.
LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION INFORMATION:
When students graduate from our MA in Expressive Therapies: Specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy and Mental Health Counseling they have met the educational requirements* for both Expressive Arts Therapy registration (REAT) by the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA), as well as licensure as a Mental Health Counselor in the state of Massachusetts (LMHC).
(*IEATA requires 100 hours of personal expressive arts therapy. This may be done as individual or group expressive arts therapy, not including personal process as required in Master’s classes or course work. One’s expressive arts therapist cannot be the same person as their supervisor, teacher or head of training program. Lesley does not provide this service, this must be completed outside of Lesley’s requirements.)
Faculty Spotlight
Krystal Demaine
Assistant Professor of Expressive Arts Therapy; Coordinator of Expressive Arts Therapy
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